The Dire Mistake
by hannaaxx
Summary: What if a one-year old Harry toddled off after being left on the Dursley's doorstep? A family of Muggles nearby takes him in and raise him as their own. But Harry will never be able to escape his fate or his ties to the Wizarding World.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Dire Mistake

**Disclaimer: **This is not my beach, I'm just playing in the sand. I am making no profit from this and everything you recognize belongs to Miss Rowling, even though I often wish it was mine.

**Summary:** What if a one-year old Harry toddled off after being left on the Dursley's doorstep? A family of Muggles nearby takes him in and raise him as their own. But Harry will never be able to escape his fate or his ties to the Wizarding World.

**Rating:** T possibly M for future chapters.

The night was still and quiet. A lone cat sat staring at a house on Privet Drive.

A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."  
He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He  
clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down  
on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.  
"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."  
He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight  
bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.  
"How did you know it was me?" she asked.  
"My dear Professor, I 've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."  
"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.  
"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."  
Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.  
"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently.  
"You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."  
"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."  
"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes,  
swapping rumors."  
She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day YouKnow-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"  
"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"  
"A what?"  
"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of"  
"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"  
"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort." Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice.

"It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason  
to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."  
"I know you haven 't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."  
"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."  
"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."  
"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."  
Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"  
It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed  
Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.  
"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. "  
Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.  
"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..."  
Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.  
Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But – he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how,  
but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone.  
Dumbledore nodded glumly.  
"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the  
name of heaven did Harry survive?"  
"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."  
Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch.  
It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"  
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"  
"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."  
"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.  
"Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"  
"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."  
"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous – a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"  
"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"  
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.  
"Hagrid's bringing him."  
"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"  
I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.  
"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"  
A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky – and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.  
If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long  
tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.  
"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"  
"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sit," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."  
"No problems, were there?"  
"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."  
Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously  
shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.  
"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.  
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."  
"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"  
"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."  
Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.  
"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.  
"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"  
"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"  
"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.  
"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."  
"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."  
Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.  
"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.  
Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet  
Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.  
"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.  
A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his  
blankets, blinking his eyes rapidly. He sat up, looked at his surroundings and let out a small whimper. The letter, that just seconds ago was clasped in his tiny fist, fluttered to the ground. Little Harry Potter wriggled his way out of the blanket and stood up shakily. He took a few short steps because falling ungraceful to the ground. He pulled himself back up, and after a couple of false starts made his way down Privet Drive. The letter, which now lay on the ground was picked up by the breeze and it somersaulted down the road and out of sight.

Little Harry toddled his way to a connecting road where he curled up on a doorstep and fell asleep.

A young women named Stephanie McDonald, resident at number 9 North Road, would later find the young boy on her way to get the post the next morning.

* * *

_I know I shouldn't be posting another story but this has been rattling around in my head for quite some time. Would anyone read this if I continued it? Let me know please :)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **The Dire Mistake

**Disclaimer: **This is not my beach, I'm just playing in the sand. I am making no profit from this and everything you recognize belongs to Miss Rowling, even though I often wish it was mine.

**Summary:** What if a one-year old Harry toddled off after being left on the Dursley's doorstep? A family of Muggles nearby takes him in and raise him as their own. But Harry will never be able to escape his fate or his ties to the Wizarding World.

**Rating:** T possibly M for future chapters.

* * *

24 year old Stephanie McDonald opened her front door to find a small child, curled up on her step. So she did the only logically thing one does in this sort of situation. She screamed.

Her husband, 27 year old Kenneth McDonald heard his wife screaming, and bolted for the door.

Kenneth McDonald was a Real Estate agent for the Stonybrook Real Estate Agency. He stood 5'11" and had brown hair and blue eyes. His wife, Stephanie was a stay at home mom, taking care of their 3 month old daughter Natalie, who had been born on the 4th of July. Stephanie was a petite women, only reaching 5'4" in height. She had light blonde hair and warm chocolate coloured eyes. Little Natalie had light brown hair, and hazel coloured eyes.

When Kenneth reached the door, he saw his wife staring at a bundle on the steps, shell-shocked

"Love, what is it?" He asked her.

She turned to him, horror evident in her brown eyes. "I-It's a child!"

Sure enough, the little bundle moved and Kenneth realized that he was staring down at a small boy possibly a year in age. The little boy was shivering in the crisp October weather.

Kenneth scooped him up into his arms and carried him into the sitting room. He set him down in Natalie's playpen—for she was sleeping upstairs—and turned to face his wife.

"Try and find him something to eat." Kenneth told her, walking towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" she asked wrapping a blanket around the little boy.

"To call the police." he replied over his shoulder.

Stephanie sighed, walked into the kitchen and grabbed a banana. She went back into sitting room to see if she could get the child to eat.

Kenneth dialed the emergency number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Surrey Police Department, can you hold for a moment?"

Kenneth rolled his eyes impatiently. He drummed his fingers on the counter.

"Thank you for holding, how may I help you." A deep male voice said through the receiver.

Kenneth sighed. "Finally! We found a child on our front steps this morning." He spoke into the phone.

The line was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry sir, did you say a child?"  
"Yes. A young boy. Possibly around a year old."

"Where is the child now, sir?" The deep voice asked.

"Inside. It was cold outside and my wife is trying to get him to eat something." Kenneth replied.

"Thank you sir. We will be dispatching an officer to your house shortly. We will also be sending over someone from Child Protective Services. What is your address?"

"Number 9 North Road, Little Whinging, Surrey." Kenneth spoke slowly and clearly.

"Thank you sir. Someone will be there shortly."

"Thank you." Kenneth replied.

The line went dead. Kenneth put the receiver back in it's cradle and set off to find his wife.

She was in the sitting room on the floor, handed pieces of a banana to the small boy who was giggling and had mashed banana all over his face and hair.

"He decided it would be fun to mash it in his hands." She told her husband at his amused look.

"What did the police say?" She asked, handing another piece of banana to the happy boy.

"They're sending someone an officer and someone from CPS to collect the boy." Kenneth told her.

She looked up at him, a sad look in her eyes.

"Oh Ken, how could someone just leave a baby somewhere? It's cruel!"

Ken gave his wife a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"I know sweetheart. I-"

He was cut off by the wails of a baby upstairs.

Kenneth sighed. He was doing that an awful lot today.

"I'll get her." he told his occupied wife.

He traipsed up the stairs into the little nursery.

Natalie was lying down in her crib.

"What's wrong Nat?" Kenneth asked his daughter.

"Ah-Ah!"

Kenneth chuckled. "You don't say?"

He picked her up. "Cm'on Nat, let's go get something to eat."

He took her downstairs to get a bottle. After she ate, he set her in the playpen next to Stephanie and the little boy.

"Nanna!" The little boy said loudly. Stephanie giggled and handed him a piece.

He grinned and grabbed the banana.

"He's so adorable Kenny!"

Ken raised his eyebrow. "Don't get attached to him, when the CPS people get here they're taking him with them."

_Ding dong!_

"Speak of the devil." Kenneth muttered, going to get the door.

He opened the door to see a big burly man in a uniform and a small petite women in a business suit.

He shook hands with both of them who introduced themselves as Officer Hampton and Jackie Schroeder.

He led them into the sitting room.

"Hello, I'm Stephanie." She said to the officer and his companion.

Jackie got down in front of the little boy.

"What's your name?" She asked him gently.

He looked at her. "Ha-ri!"

Jackie looked confused for a moment. "You mean Harry?"

He grinned at her. "Ya!"

She smiled. "Where are your mommy or daddy?"

"Bye bye." Harry said seriously.

"Did they leave you here?"

Harry shook his head. "No."

Jackie looked at the other adults in the room. "I'm going to take him to the children's shelter until we can figure out who he is. You're welcome to visit!" She smiled at the young couple.

She picked up the young boy and headed for the door.

Harry started screaming. "No! No! No!" He was kicking his feet and yelling at the top of his lungs.

Jackie, surprised, set the little boy back down on the ground. He crawled back over to Stephanie, crying. She held him, rocking him back and forth.

It was at this point at Natalie made her presence known. "Ah! Ah!"

Harry instantly stopped crying and looked around for the noise.

"Oh! Oh!"

Harry crawled over to the little baby.

"That's Natalie, Harry." Stephanie told him.

He cocked his head to the side, and looked like he was trying to concentrate. "L-l-le!"

Stephanie nodded. "Nat-a-lie." She said slowly.

"L-l-l-e l-le. Lel-le. LeLe!" He shouted giggling happily.

Stephanie clapped loudly. "Good job Harry!"

After a few minutes, Jackie told them that she really needed to get Harry back to the shelter.

"Harry?" Stephanie asked. "You need to go with Jackie now. We will see you in a few days, okay?"

Harry looked at her, then looked at Jackie. "No."

"Yes, Harry." Stephanie said, picking him up.

"No!" Harry yelled. Stephanie handed Harry off to Jackie. Harry instantly began to cry.

"Oh Harry!" Stephanie said. "I'll see you soon okay?"

Jackie carried the crying boy out of the house and put him into her car and drove away.

After answering all of the officer's questions, Stephanie and Kenneth said down in the sitting room by their cooing baby.

"What if no one claims him, Ken?" Stephanie asked worriedly.

"I don't know, Steph. I don't think it's any of our business though." Kenneth told her.

"Oh, but please can we go and visit him in a couple of days?" Stephanie begged him.

Kenneth winced. "I don't think so. You're going to get attached to him, and then his parents are going to take him back and you're going to be upset."

"Please, Ken! He doesn't have anyone but us! Maybe this was God's way of giving us another child!" Stephanie told him.

Kenneth rubbed his temples. After Natalie was born, there were complications that rendered Stephanie unable to have anymore children.

"We can go and see him in a few days, but that's it!" Kenneth said sternly.

Stephanie grinned and picked up her daughter. "Do you want to go and see Harry?"

Natalie grinned. "Ah! Ah!"

"See? She agrees!"

* * *

"I'm sorry, Ma'am but there is no record of this child being born. There are no fingerprints in any hospital that match his. It's like he doesn't even exist."

Jackie Schroeder slammed down the receiver and sighed. No one had come in claiming the little boy Harry, and no hospital in a 100 km radius had records that matched his.

She picked up the phone and dialed another number.

"Hello, is this the McDonald residence?"

* * *

Stephanie and Kenneth were headed to the children's shelter, with Natalie in the back seat.

"Did she say what she wanted?" Stephanie asked her husband.

"No, she just said that she really needed to talk to us." Kenneth told her.

When they arrived at the shelter they were greeted by Jackie.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. McDonald." She said smiling.

"Please, call us Kenneth and Stephanie." Kenneth said.

"Why did you ask us to come here?" Stephanie asked curiously.

"Well, it's actually about that darling boy Harry." Jackie said.

"Oh. Did you find his parents?" Kenneth asked.

Jackie grimaced. "No, and that's the problem. I've checked and double-checked all the hospitals, clinics, and shelters in the area and there is no record of this boy being born."

"So what does that mean?" Stephanie asked.

"It means that if this boy is not adopted in less than two years, than he will be bounced around from foster home to foster home until he is 18 and then the system can dump him out into the real world. And I won't lie to you. The foster homes aren't always loving and caring."

"So, why are we here?" Kenneth asked, already thinking he knew the answer.

"Well, you two seemed to really like him, and he has a slim chance of even getting adopted, and..."

"You were wondering if we wanted to adopt him?" Kenneth asked.

Jackie shrugged. "Well, yeah. You may be his only chance at a normal childhood."

Stephanie looked at her husband with hopeful eyes.

Kenneth sighed—he really needed to stop doing that—and wrapped his arm around his wife.

"What papers do we need to sign?" Kenneth asked.

Stephanie grinned and hugged her husband tightly.

Several hours later, the new family of four arrived home.

Stephanie brought their little boy inside.

"Welcome home, Harry McDonald."

* * *

_I don't have a baby so I don't know how they develop. Please forgive me if something is wrong. _

_Review and let me know what you think._


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **The Dire Mistake

**Disclaimer: **This is not my beach, I'm just playing in the sand. I am making no profit from this and everything you recognize belongs to Miss Rowling, even though I often wish it was mine.

**Summary:** What if a one-year old Harry toddled off after being left on the Dursley's doorstep? A family of Muggles nearby takes him in and raise him as their own. But Harry will never be able to escape his fate or his ties to the Wizarding World.

**Rating:** T possibly M for future chapters.

* * *

_November 10th, 1981_

"Albus!" A severe looking women in emerald robes strode into a large circular room. An elderly wizard popped a candy into his mouth.

"Yes, Minerva?" He asked, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Where is Harry Potter?" She asked him, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean?" Albus Dumbledore asked.

Minerva McGonagall put her hands on her hips and glared at the man in front of her.

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Albus Dumbledore!" She yelled poking him in the chest with her finger. "I went to those horrid people's house—the Dursley's—because I wanted to see how Harry was doing there. There was absolutely no sign of him living there at all! I even posed as a muggle, asking them to complete a survey and they said they only had one child living there!"

Albus Dumbledore paled slightly.

"I'm sure that Harry is um perfectly safe and in a good environment."

McGonagall glared at him.

"You sound like you're trying to reassure yourself Albus!"

Albus just smiled at her, his eyes twinkling.

"When we find him, I am positive that he will be happy, healthy, and safe."

"You better be right Albus. You better be right!"

* * *

_December 11th, 1981: 1 year and 5 months_

A little boy with untidy black hair was running around, bare-naked with his diaper clasped in his little fist. He giggles as he rounded the corner, only to be scooped up by his father.

"Got you, you little monster!" Kenneth said smiling. He slid the diaper back on the squirming toddler. Shaking his head, Kenneth set the boy down again, only to hear crying upstairs. He wiped the sweat of his brow and sighed.

"You two will be the death of me, I swear!" He climbed the stairs to the second floor to comfort his crying daughter.

* * *

_March 17th, 1982: 1 year and 8 months_

"Momma! Lele went poopy!"

Stephanie McDonald sighed.

"Momma." A little voice said urgently.

"Harry! I'm really busy right now, sweetie."

"But momma..."

"Harry!" Stephanie said exasperatedly.

"Sorry momma."

* * *

_July 31st, 1982: 2 years_

"Happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you!"

Harry clapped his hands together.

"Blow out the candles, sweetie!"

Harry squinted his eyes together and scrunched his nose up, looking every bit like a little rabbit.

"What was your wish?" Stephanie asked her son

"Mom_ma!_ If I tell you, it won't come true!" Harry looked up at her with his hands on his little hips and his face serious. Stephanie couldn't help but laugh at him.

* * *

_May 13th, 1985: 4 years 10 months_

"Harry starts school in September." Stephanie stated. "Do you think we should home-school him?"

Kenneth looked at his fretful wife. "Why? Because of the _things_ that happen?"

Stephanie nodded. "What if it happens at school?"

"Steph, you worry too much! He'll be fine."

"B-But it's starting to happen to Nat too!"

"Stephanie! Let the poor boy go to school. If something happens, we can pull him out. Let him be a normal kid."

"But if anything happens-"

"We'll pull him out of school."

* * *

Harry started school early that September and true to Kenneth's word, nothing strange happened during his first year at school. Well, nothing that was traced back to him anyway. His teacher's hair turned green one day but that couldn't have been Harry. It was a small school though, and all the way up to Harry's 6th year there was one boy who was in every class of his—Dudley Dursley.

He was a large boy with a bad attitude. One day during recess in his 6th year, Natalie's 5th year, she was playing with a friend when Harry noticed Dudley and his gang approach her. Harry was too far away to hear what was said, but he saw Dudley say something to Natalie, and she replied angrily. Dudley then shoved his sister, so he ran over to the group. Dudley was almost double the size of Harry, but Harry was taller and quicker. Dudley threw a punch, which Harry swiftly dodged, but his anger grew.

As Dudley threw a second punch, a white light burst from Harry's hands. After the blinding light dissipated, Harry saw Dudley and his gang laying on the ground, staring up at him. The playground monitor Mr Motshave ran over. He pulled the large boy off the ground and grabbed Harry roughly by the arm.

"You're in a lot of trouble Mr McDonald."

He escorted the two boys into the principal's office, then proceeded to call both of their parents.

Harry sat in a hard plastic chair next to Dudley who was glaring darkly at him. He tapped his foot nervously, waiting for Mr Motshave to come back with his parents.

After several minutes that felt like hours to Harry, Mr Motshave came back with his parents, and two people he deduced to be Dudley's parents. His mother was a stern horsey-faced women, and her husband was a large man that Harry could only compare to a walrus.

Mr Motshave offered the two sets of parents chairs and sat behind the desk.

"Mr and Mrs Dursley, Mr and Mrs McDonald, today your sons were involved in an altercation on the playground. Now, I'll give each of your sons the chance to tell their side of the story. Mr Dursley? You can go ahead."

Dudley sat in his chair-which was too small for his large bottom—sniffling, as he began to tell his side of the story.

"I-I was just talking to Natalie, and he..." he pointed at Harry. "...came running out of no where and shoved me to the ground!"

Harry glared at the other boy. He twisted the story around to make it sound like Harry attacked him unprovoked.

"Alright thank you. Mr McDonald? If you will."

Harry glanced at his father before swallowing slowly. His father had a stern look on his face, that Harry rarely saw.

"Well, I saw Dudley approach my sister. I couldn't hear what they said but I saw Dudley shove Natalie. So I ran over there. He threw a punch, which I dodged. Then he tried to punch me again but a bright light appeared and when it went away, he was laying on the ground."

Harry knew as soon as he finished that Mr Motshave didn't believe him. It didn't sound very believable to him either, but he knew that his parents, at least, would believe him.

Mr Motshave raised his eyebrow at the young boy. "Mr McDonald, are you sure that's exactly what happened?"

Harry nodded his head adamantly.

"Well, Mr and Mrs Dursley, Mr and Mrs McDonald, seeing as fighting is strictly against the rules, I have no choice but to ask you not continue to bring your sons here. I was an unfortunate situation but I simply cannot bend the rules for them. I hope you understand."

Kenneth and Stephanie nodded their heads in understanding, but Vernon and Petunia were furious.

"Hold on now, this boy..." Vernon pointed at Harry, like Dudley had, "...attacked _my _son, and Dudley gets punished?"

"Now, Mr Dursley, there is simply no way that this 'fight' was one-sided and frankly I find it hard to believe that Harry here was able to hurt your boy, considering he is quite a bit larger than him."

"How dare you?" Petunia shrieked. "Our Dudders would never hurt a fly! That child is to blame, not _my_ son!"

"Mrs Dursley, my decision is final. Please escort your children out of here. I'm sorry that it came to this."

Vernon steered Dudley out of the room by his shoulder, while Petunia looked at Harry, with a glare that wished him pain.

"Freak!" she spat at him as she walked out. "Just like your mother!"

Mr Motshave shook his head at the couple and their large son.

"I'm terribly sorry about them, but do you understand why I can't make an exception for your son? Even though I highly doubt that Harry started the fight."

"We understand. We were thinking of homeschooling our children anyway. So we will be withdrawing both Harry and Natalie." Kenneth told the man in front of him.

Mr Motshave. "I understand. We will be sad to see them go. They both are wonderful students."

Kenneth stood up and shook Mr Motshave's hand. "Thank you."  
They lead Harry out of the office and went to collect their daughter.

Harry was suddenly tackled by a blur.

"Oh Harry! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make him mad!" Natalie was wringing her hands together.

Harry chuckled. "Nat, it's not your fault. Don't worry about it!"

Natalie looked at him with worry in her eyes. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Harry shook his head at her antics. "LeLe, I'm fine."

"Good."

"Come on guys." Stephanie said. "We have some things to discuss at home."

The ride back to their house was silent. Harry was terrified his parents were mad at him.

They sat the kids down at the table, and Kenneth smiled.

"Harry, We're not mad at you. We are proud that you stood up for your sister, and for the record, we believe you."

Harry exhaled. "Dad, is there something wrong with me? Am I really a freak?"

Kenneth and Stephanie shared a look.

"Sweetheart, I think it's time we told you something." Stephanie began. "You aren't our biological child."

Stephanie glanced at her son, waiting for his reaction. She was shocked to find that he wasn't all that surprised.

"I sort of wondered because dad has brown hair and blue eyes, you have blonde hair and brown eyes, and I have black hair and green eyes. We look nothing alike."

Kenneth chuckled. "Leave it to you to figure that out."

"So did you guys adopt me or something?" Harry asked curiously.

Kenneth and Stephanie explained how they found Harry on the steps and what happened after they visited him at the orphanage.

Harry smiled at his parents. "So what is my real last name?"

Kenneth grimaced. "Well, the thing is...we don't know. They searched and searched for any record of you being born, but they couldn't find anything. It was like you didn't even exist."

"That's...strange." Harry commented.

Kenneth and Stephanie agreed.

"Well, since you guys have been so good and I feel bad about having to take you out of school, why don't we go to the zoo tomorrow? It's a Saturday so we can spend the whole day there."

Natalie and Harry cheered. They loved going to the zoo and watching the monkeys swing around and sea otters play with each other. Harry's favorite though, were the snakes. He had always felt like he had a connection with them.

While his parents made them some lunch, Harry was left to ponder what that Petunia woman had said. She had called him a 'freak, just like his mother'. Did that mean that she knew his real mother? He didn't know.

* * *

Stephanie awoke Harry and Natalie early the next morning so they could get an early start at the zoo. After a quick breakfast of eggs, sausage and toast, they were on their way. When they arrived at the zoo Harry immediately took off for the snake exhibits, with Natalie hot on his heels. She loved the snakes almost as much as he did. Harry's favorite was the Albino Burmese Python. He loved the colouring of its scales. He stared at the large snake, barely noticing the bushy haired girl next to him.

"Pretty, isn't it?" She asked him. He nodded in agreement.

"Did you know that the Burmese Python is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the sixth biggest snakes in the world? This snake is native to the rain forest areas of Southeast Asia. The Burmese python grows up to 5.5 meters and weighing up to 71 kilograms. It grows its whole life."

Harry looked at her in awe. She said that all very fast and in one breathe. He grinned shaking his head. "No, I didn't know all that. I'm Harry by the way. Harry McDonald." He held out his hand for her to shake.

"I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger." She said smiling, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

* * *

_Boy! That took a long time to finish. Sorry about that. I really hope your liking my story and I have some awesome ideas for future chapters. I hope you don't mind me introducing Hermione a little earlier than usual!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **The Dire Mistake

**Disclaimer: **This is not my beach, I'm just playing in the sand. I am making no profit from this and everything you recognize belongs to Miss Rowling, even though I often wish it was mine.

**Summary:** What if a one-year old Harry toddled off after being left on the Dursley's doorstep? A family of Muggles nearby takes him in and raise him as their own. But Harry will never be able to escape his fate or his ties to the Wizarding World.

**Rating:** T possibly M for future chapters.

* * *

"Hermione!" A gruff voice called.

The bushy-haired girl's eyes widened.

"I-I have to go!" She sprinted off before Harry could even say goodbye. Harry sighed, he really wanted a new friend.

"Who was that?" his mother asked walking up behind him and laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Hermione, she was telling me about the snakes!" Harry told his mother happily.

Stephanie looked over at the young girl who was currently being led away by a mean-looking man, who had a tight grip on her upper arm. She could tell by the way he was gesticuating with his free hand that he was yelling at the young girl, but was unable to hear what was being said.

"Harry, did she ever tell you her last name?"

Her son shook his head no.

Stephanie glanced over again, to find they had gone.

The thought of the young girl was pushed to the back of her mind as Harry dragged her to go see the lions. By the end of the day, both Stephanie and Harry had forgotten all about the clever bushy-haired girl.

* * *

July turned into August, and the air started to cool.

"Daddy!"

Kenneth set down his newspaper.

"What is it Natalie?"

"There's a strange lady at the door. She said she wants to talk to you."

"Natalie Stephanie McDonald! What have I told you about answering the door without telling me?"

Natalie pouted. "Not to..."

Kenneth rounded the corner and entered the hall.

"Then maybe you should listen."

Natalie grimaced. "Yes, Daddy..."

Kenneth smiled and patted her on the head.

"Good girl. Now, go play with your brother."

Natalie scampered off. Kenneth turned towards the opened door and saw a tall stern-looking woman in an emerald green jacket on.

"Hello, can I help you?" Kenneth asked politely, even though the woman gave him the creeps.

The older woman smiled tightly at the young man standing in front of her.

"Are you Kenneth McDonald?"

"Yes, May I ask who you are?"

The woman actually smiled at him. "My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am a professor at a very prestigious school. I've come to offer your son-"

She looked down at the paper in her hand. "Harry, was it?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I've come to offer your son Harry a spot at our school."

Kenneth was shocked. "Harry? I know he's bright, but we never even applied to any other schools yet."

McGonagall smiled softly. "May I come in? Maybe, sit down with you, your wife, and your son and discuss things more in detail?"

Kenneth wasn't sure what to do. Here was this strange woman asking to enter his home, and enroll his son in a school they never applied to.

"I-uh—sure. Come on in." He gestured with his hand.

"Thank you Mr. McDonald."

Kenneth smiled brightly. "Please, call me Ken or Kenneth."

McGonagall took a seat on the sofa, while Kenneth went in search of his wife and son.

"Steph, honey?" he called.

"In here." She called from the downstairs bathroom. "Harry turned his hair green again."

Kenneth sighed, and walked into the small bathroom.

"Honey, there is a woman here who wants to talk to Harry and us. She says she wants to offer him a spot at her school."

Stephanie had a puzzled look on her otherwise beautiful face. "But, we never applied-"

"I know, let's just see what she wants, eh?"

"Yes, alright." She replied. "Cm'on Harry dear."

The three of them trekked back to the sitting room where the older woman was sitting patiently.

Harry led the little group into the sitting room.

"Hello dear. You must be Harry. What have you done to your hair? Let me fix it for you." McGonagall pulled out a thin dark coloured wand and waved it in a small circle. The green slowly started fading from Harry's head until it was back to it's normal black color. Harry watched her in awe.

After the transformation was complete, McGongall gasped loudly holding a wrinkled hand to her chest.

"Harry Potter." she whispered.

As she made his discovery, the McDonald's were frightened. No, they were terrified.

I demand to know what you just did to my son!" Kenneth said angrily.

McGonagall slowly turned her eyes from the young boy in front of her to the angry man.

"Please, Mr. McDonald. Let me explain. I am a Professor at Hogwarts. A school for witchcraft and wizardry. Your son, is a wizard."

"I'm a what?" Harry asked confused.

Stephanie and Kenneth shared a look, and McGonagall was almost certain she was about to be thrown out of their house, and was therefore shocked to hear Kenneth say, "Well, that makes a lot of sense. Harry does a lot of strange things and doesn't know how he does it."

McGonagall smiled the first real smile they had seen her smile all day. "Accidental magic." she explained. "It often happens when a young witch or wizard doesn't know or isn't in control of his or her powers."

"But, why come now?" Stephanie asked, talking for the first time.

"Because, Mrs. McDonald at the age of eleven, children are allowed to start their first year at Hogwarts."

"But Nata-"

"Yes, we are aware that your young daughter is also showing signs of magic. But we have a more pressing matter. I assume that you are aware that Harry is not your biological son?"

"Yes. We found him on our doorstep. It looked like he had wandered off, so we called the police and child services. They took him, but couldn't find any record of his birth anywhere, so we adopted him." Kennethe responded, confused as to where this was going.

"Indeed, there were no records, because Mr. Pot—McDonald, is a magical child. Did you by chance happen to hear about the double murder that happened 10 years ago in a small village called Godric's Hollow?"

"Yes. That poor couple. They were so young, and no one ever found out what had happened to them."

McGonagall visibly grimaced. "That, Mrs. McDonald is because they were magical, and killed by the killing curse."

Both Kenneth and Stephanie gasped loudly.

"And this young boy here, is their son."

* * *

_Wow! Sorry I've been gone so long. My computer broke and I had to get it fixed and I just changed my college major to Human Services. I've been super busy and feel horrible I haven't been able to update. I know this chapter is short and kind of rushed. I just wanted to update so ya'll know I haven't forgotten about this! Please review. Thanks for reading. :)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **The Dire Mistake

**Disclaimer: **This is not my beach, I'm just playing in the sand. I am making no profit from this and everything you recognize belongs to Miss Rowling, even though I often wish it was mine.

**Summary:** What if a one-year old Harry toddled off after being left on the Dursley's doorstep? A family of Muggles nearby takes him in and raise him as their own. But Harry will never be able to escape his fate or his ties to the Wizarding World.

**Rating:** T possibly M for future chapters.

* * *

"But why did no one come and get him?" Kenneth asked, but Harry interrupted him.

"You knew my real parents?"

McGonagall smiled sadly at the young boy. "Yes I did. They were both students at Hogwarts. Both were in the Gryffindor house and both were very bright. Although your father didn't hold very high stock in rules and your mother did."

"What were their names?" Harry asked eagerly.

"James Potter and Lily Evans nee Potter. You are the spitting image of your father, except for your eyes. You have your mother's eyes."

"What happened to them?" Harry asked somberly.

McGonagall frowned. "I'm not sure now is the best-"

Kenneth interrupted her. "Please, he deserves to know."

McGonagall sighed. "Very well." She turned towards Harry. "You may want to sit down. It's a long story."

Harry plopped down on the floor, while his parents took the loveseat to his left.

"Now, before I begin it is important for you to know, that not all wizards are good. Some are bad. Very bad. There was a wizard who was the worst we've ever known. He is known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, or You-Know-Who-"

"Well, that's a silly name!" Harry exclaimed.

McGonagall actually chuckled. "That's not his real name. People are too afraid to call him by his name. Some refer to him as Tom Riddle, is given name."

"But, what's his real name?"

"L-Lord Vold-demort." McGonagall spat out.

"Lord Voldemort?" Harry asked. "That's even sillier!"

"Anyway, You-Know-Who was a dark wizard. A very dark wizard. There was a group of people who were working to take him down. Your parents were part of that group, Harry. They were incredibly brave. But You-Know-Who was after them. He wanted them dead. Your parents home was hidden under a spell that made it impossible for anyone who didn't know where they were to see the house. They had to stay there all the time, with you. Their friend, Sirius Black told Voldemort the location of your house. So Voldemort went to your house and confronted your parents. He killed your father first, and went upstairs to where you and your mother were. He killed your mother then turned his wand on you. But, when he did that, he died. No one knows what happened, but that's how you got that scar on your forehead. You parents died as heroes."

The room was silent as a graveyard, until

_CRASH!_

The adults all whipped their heads around. A large ornate vase was laying on the floor, shattered into a million tiny pieces and Harry was shaking uncontrollably.

"Harry!" His mother started to scold him, but McGonagall held up a hand to stop her.

"He cannot help it." She told Stephanie. "It was accidental magic. He can't control it. When a young witch or wizard hears something that upsets them, or they feel as they are in danger, sometimes the build-up of there magic exploded from them."

She pointed her wand and said '_Reparo'._

She clapped her hands together. "While I am here, we have a few other matters to discuss. One involves your daughter, Natalie."

"What do you want with Natalie?" Kenneth asked accusingly.

"Mr. McDonald, surely you have noticed strange things happening with her, as well?"

Kenneth blushed slightly. "Well, yeah.."

"Your daughter is a witch, and come next year will be offered a spot at our school with her brother. If you wish for either of them to go."

Stephanie looked at her husband. "I think it's a good idea. They can learn about what they really are, and we don't have to keep covering up accidents at their schools."

Kenneth nodded his head. "You're right."

McGonagall smiled. "Well then, now that that's settled...what are we going to do about young Harry's name?"

The young couple looked at each other, then back to the older witch. "His name?"

"Well, Yes. Mr. McDonald is in actuality the most famous wizard in the wizarding world now. Would you like him to go by his given name, or the name you have given him?" She asked them.

They looked at each other for a split second before Kenneth said, "I think we should leave that decision up to Harry." Stephanie nodded her agreement.

"Very well then." McGonagall said, turning to Harry, who had been watching this exchange with wide eyes. "Would you prefer to be known as Harry James Potter, or Harry Kenneth McDonald?"

The young boy sat there, thinking it over in his head for several minutes before finally coming to a conclusion.

" I want to be called McDonald. I just want to be a normal kid like everyone else. Nothing special."

McGonagall nodded her head.

"I shall inform our Headmaster of your decision. I will be back in a fortnight to take your parents, you and another young witch who lives nearby to Diagon Alley, so you may get your supplies needed for the upcoming year."

Both Stephanie and Kenneth shook hands with the woman, and she left.

* * *

After Minerva McGonagall left the McDonald household, she had to go to another young witch's house. This visit proved to be much more difficult than the previous household. Neither of the parents of this young girl wanted her to leave, claiming she was a 'devil child'. After a long and lengthy discussion, the parents allowed their child to go.

* * *

As soon as the old Scottish witch apparated into her quarters, she received a summons from the Headmaster. She sighed and made her way up the spiral staircase and into the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, Minerva." Dumbledore exclaimed, hands open in greeting.

"I am well." She responded sitting on the hard wooden chair.

"Good, good." He replied, blue eyes twinkling. "It is of my understanding, that you found out something very interesting today?"

"I have found Harry Potter."

"Indeed?" He asked. "That is great news! He shall be returned to his Aunt and Uncle's house in due time."

McGonagall looked outraged. "What? You shall do no such thing Albus! He has lived with these people his whole life and he counts on them. He's happy. His last name is McDonald and he requests that it stay so."

"But dear Minerva, I cannot do that. He must be known as Harry Potter."

McGonagall shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow that Albus." She stood and strod from the room without a backwards glance.

There was a bright flash of light and a gold and red pheonix appeared.

"Ah, Fawkes." The old man replied, stroking him with a long finger. "That explains why 'Harry Potter' disappeared from our book. His name was legally changed."

He chuckled to himself. "I guess we'll just have to do something about that, won't we Fawkes?"

Fawkes screeched loudly and flew from the tower room.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away a young boy was too excited to sleep, and a little girl was cowering in a corner away from angry hands.

* * *

_I'm getting lots of great reviews. It seems that people really enjoy this story! I'm so glad! It makes me wrigreatte faster. (hint hint) I hope everyone had a great Easter, Passover, Dingus Day etc. Thanks for reading!_


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